5 Minutes with... Ben Coisy

In his rookie season racing AMA Supercross, Benjamin Coisy made 10 main events so far, scored a top-six finish, and is sitting 14th right now in the series. That’s not too bad for the MotoConcepts privateer French rider who’s riding against the best riders in the world. Let’s hear from him for this “5 Minutes with” interview.

Racer X: Your 2009 SX season is going pretty well right now. I’m sure you’re stoked about it.Benjamin Coisy: It started very well in Anaheim I where I finished eighth right away. That was really good for me. It was a good start. It helps me to get some confidence for my first Supercross season. Unfortunately, I didn’t qualify for the main the following race! That was a bummer. After that, I stayed consistent, I rode smart and I qualified for most of the main events. My best race actually happened in Toronto. I had a terrible start. I was dead last but I felt pretty good in the first laps, I found a good rythm and I finished 10th. I was stoked with that.

You finished top six at Indianapolis. It’s pretty impressive for a privateer. How did you pull that off?
At Indianapolis, I had a very good day. Everything was perfect. I rode very well during practices with fast lap times and finished 14th ahead of Kevin Windham and Mike Alessi. We were struggling a little bit with the settings of the bike but American Honda helped us out and it turned out to be exactly what we needed. In the main, it pays off because I had a good start, I stayed with the fast group and I finished sixth. It was really a good feeling to be able to be the first privateer out there. The MotoConcepts Racing team works very hard and I was happy to get them their best result of the year.

How things are going inside the MotoConcepts Racing team ?
Things are just going great. For a first-year team it’s extremely well organized and the guys here really have their act together. The team is owed by Mike Genova, who has a true passion for the sport. Steve Lamson, the team manager, is doing a terrific job and it’s a real pleasure to ride for those guys. They gave me the opportunity to ride the Supercross class for the first time and I’m very appreciative of it.

You are actually third in the Privateer of the Year chase. It’s going to go down to Las Vegas. Do you feel the pressure?
Not really. I’m actually third best privateer behind Heath Voss and Matt Boni, but there are only 11 points between us with three races to go. It’s going to be tough. It’s not going to come easy, but I think I have what it takes to finish ahead of them. That is my goal for the end of the Supercross season. That would be really nice to end the season as the best privateer.

Are you going to do the Outdoor series?
Yes, of course, and I’m looking forward to it. I haven’t been riding outdoors for a long time. A couple of years ago I won a MX3 race in Europe, but since then that’s about it. It doesn’t matter, really. I’ll be ready for Glen Helen on May 23rd. This summer is going to be a big learning experience. I’m pretty excited about it.

What are your plans for 2010?
I don’t know yet. Of course I’d like to stay here in the US. I don’t want to race anywhere else. All the best riders in the world are here, and that’s where I want to be. After a year of experience, I know I can be a regular top-10 finisher. My results speak for themselves. I’m planning to buy a house in SoCal so I’m not going anywhere!

{LINKS}Let’s finish with a shout out to your sponsors.
Great. I really want to thank everyone on the MotoConcepts Racing team – they have just done so much. Also, I would like to thank Craig my mechanic, my lovely wife Marlene, along with our sponsors like Fly, Decal Works, FMF, Pirelli, Alpinestars, RK, TCR, Guts, Motion Pro, Sunline, Utopia, Dragon Fuel, Asterisk, Smooth Industries, Vortex, and Motorex. And I’d like to congratulate Christophe for his 2009 SX East Lites title...